D. Gray-Man: Series 1 Part 1 (Review)
Tuesday, 19th January 2010, 17:29

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Extras
Both discs get static menus and a jacket picture to look at when the disc isn’t spinning.

Disc 1’s sole extra is an audio commentary that accompanies episode 2. ADR director and voice of Allen Walker, Todd Haberkorn joins writer and voice of Lenalee, Luci Christian for a nice informal chat about the dubbing process and some of the casting decisions made for the show. There are some interesting insights here, especially given Funimation’s change to the half season boxset.

Disc 2 just gets the textless credit sequences.

Conclusion
Well that was a blast! I ought to get this out of the way first though; D. Gray-Man isn’t the anime you are looking for if you want something different, if you want cutting edge, if you want directorial flair, or paroxysms of narrative. It isn’t what you’d get if you want depth of characterisation, or left field surrealism. But D. Gray-Man is perfect if you want a middle of the road anime show, that appeals to young audiences, and neatly fits into a Bleach or Naruto shaped slot. Although on the strength of these first thirteen episodes, it’s definitely a cut above those two epics of anime manufactory. It’s got the obligatory good guys versus bad guys storyline, it has the main character an unlikely hero out of place in the world in which he fights, it has all the meaningful, soul-searching action sequences, and all the levelling up that is traditional for its genre, and it has plenty of comedy as well. The difference is that rather than stretch things out indefinitely as shows like Naruto and Bleach are apt to do, D. Gray-Man at this juncture appears to have a direction and a storytelling style it adheres to. It’s telling the story efficiently and keeping it as pacy and entertaining as possible. The longest story here is a mere four episodes long, and at no point was I looking at the clock.

The hero Allen Walker is the traditional cursed orphan with a destiny that fits the classic archetype so well. He’s easygoing, friendly, likeable and a cheerful chap, albeit one with a dark past and an inner strength that holds him in good stead against the various demonic foes he faces. His tragedy is that he so very nearly became one of the Akuma that he hunts, and was cursed for it. He has a very Harry Potter-esque scar above his left eye, albeit one of a pentagram, and his eye is the source of his unique ability to detect Akuma. Incidentally, the origin of the Akuma is one of the appeals of this show, a pernicious menace that actually plays on human nature. The villain of the piece, The Millennium Earl actually takes advantage of the grief and sorrow of the recently bereaved, offering to resurrect their lost loved ones and then binding that soul to a mechanism that then devours and takes on the form of the griever. It certainly takes the story to a darker place than most shonen shows, although the tone of the story in these thirteen episodes is comparatively light.

In fact, for much of the first half of this set, I was of the opinion that it was a little too light, and D. Gray-Man was playing things for laughs a little too strongly. It’s most certainly apparent in the supporting cast, with the scientists back at the Black Order most definitely there for comic relief, and the leader Komui corners the market on whimsy and absurdity, harbouring an obsession for his sister Lenalee that is kept from creepiness solely by the utter silliness of the character. The first episode is a fine opener to the show, setting forth the premise and delivering on action, and I found that I really liked the Moa character, and was a little disappointed that she didn’t show up again in subsequent episodes. But from then on, it went straight for the comedy jugular with Allen arriving at the Black Order and beginning his life as an exorcist. It began to feel as if the balance was off, and the serious start was just a red herring intro to an out and out comedy series. The first mission sees Allen joined by another exorcist, Kanda, who in proper anime convention is stoic and determined, unfriendly and cold, rubbing our hero completely the wrong way (You know that they’ll be friends later on down the line), and while the mission is a serious one to recover a piece of Innocence, it’s still played mostly for laughs, and the only note of tragedy and drama comes at the conclusion.

I was all set to dismiss D. Gray-Man as just another average action anime aimed at the younger end of the market, but it was the second disc that made me re-evaluate things, and the mission to the town stuck in Groundhog Day to recover another piece of Innocence. It’s around this point in the tale that the characters’ back-stories and histories begin to be explored, and seeing how Allen became the Exorcist that he is certainly sobers the mood. Lenalee’s induction into the Black Order, and the reasons behind her brother’s fanatical obsession also injects a sombre note. Then there is the added complication of the Clan of Noah. Prior to this, Allen’s foes have been Akuma, mechanical soul demons that he is actually redeeming by destroying. Suddenly he’s facing other humans in combat, and he has a dilemma to resolve. But by far the most compelling aspect of this story is the character of Miranda Lotto, a depressed Goth girl of a character, constantly subdued by her own failings and ineffectuality. She looks older than her years, severe and gaunt, and I found it interesting that this story wasn’t resolved by the whopping great battle, but rather by seeing this character start to work out her own personal issues. It’s a nice layered touch that leads to the final episode on this disc, which is again very much character based. I’m most certainly looking forward to seeing the Miranda character again, and although the darker direction of the second half of this set (torture scene) may nudge up the age rating a tad, it certainly makes it a much more rewarding show to watch than the chuckle-fest of the first half.

Entertaining it may be, but D. Gray-Man is just another generic action anime show, like countless others. It has comfortably familiar characters, a recognisable story, a well used storytelling style and tropes, and it’s a lot like a couple dozen anime shows on the market that you can pick up right now. Having said that, on the strength of these 13 episodes, it is certainly among the cream of the crop, with efficient storytelling that doesn’t waste a second of screen-time on filler, and surprisingly high production values, on a par with shorter run series that can be more lavish with their budgets. If you’re dipping your toes into this anime thing for the first time, and are looking for a show that is typical of the medium, then D. Gray-Man is an ideal entry-point, and given the directions in which Bleach and Naruto are currently going, I’m certainly glad that Manga have this show on their catalogue. And I still don’t know what D. Gray-Man actually is…

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